The Memory Thief

by Lauren Mansy

Overview

This thrilling YA fantasy debut follows seventeen-year-old Etta Lark as she navigates the underworld of Craewick to pull off the heist of a lifetime. A YALSA (The Young Adult Library Services Association) Teens' Top Ten Book for 2020, Mansy crafts a grim reality where memories are worth their weight in gold.

In the city of Craewick, memories reign.

The power-obsessed ruler of the city, Madame, has cultivated a society in which memories are currency, citizens are divided by ability, and Gifted individuals can take memories from others through touch as they please.

Seventeen-year-old Etta Lark is desperate to live outside of the corrupt culture, but she grapples with the guilt of an accident that has left her mother bedridden in the city's asylum. When Madame threatens to put her mother up for auction, a Craewick practice in which a "criminal's" memories are sold to the highest bidder before being killed, Etta will do whatever it takes to save her. Even if it means rejoining the Shadows, the rebel group she swore off in the wake of the accident years earlier.

To rescue her mother, Etta must prove her allegiance to the Shadows by stealing a memorized map of the Maze, a formidable prison created by the bloodthirsty ruler of a neighboring Realm. Etta faces startling attacks, unexpected romance, and, above all, her own past as she uncovers a conspiracy that challenges everything she knew about herself and the world around her.

In a place where nothing is what it seems, can Etta ever become more than a memory thief?

Perfect for fans of high-stakemagical heists such as:

• Leigh Bardugo (Six of Crows)
• Victoria Aveyard (Red Queen)
• Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves)

"Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers."- Booklist

"A welcome addition to the YA fantasy canon, The Memory Thief is a suspenseful page-turner, delightfully chock full of unexpected twists and turns."- Shelf Awareness

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780310767565
Publisher:	Blink
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	220,396
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Lauren Mansy grew up in the Chicago area, where she spent years working with youth of all ages, from young children to high schoolers. When she's not writing, Lauren loves to travel, spend time with her family, and explore the city to find the best deep dish pizza. The Memory Thief, which was inspired by Lauren's own journey with her mother, is her first novel. You can visit her online at laurenmansy.com.

Editorial Reviews

As evidenced by 'The Memory Thief', author Lauren Mansy has a genuine talent for narrative storytelling and an authentic flair for originality. A riveting great read with more plot twists and turns than a Disney Land roller coaster, 'The Memory Thief' will prove to be an immediate and enduringly popular addition to school and community library YA Fiction and amp; Fantasy Fiction collections.

Midwest Book Review

A compelling, darkly fantastic tale ... Though Mansy builds an expansive fantasy world all her own, her tale uses dystopian motifs to great success, such as the corrosive effects of an overabundance of power falling into the wrong hands and her stern commentary on the divide between the haves and have-nots. Readers, like Etta and her fellow citizens, will be challenged to contemplate the nature of truth, considering the unique role that memories play in the Realms. Mansy also delivers a fine romance, made all the more gratifying by the difficulties sustained along the way. A welcome addition to the YA fantasy canon, The Memory Thief is a suspenseful page-turner, delightfully chock full of unexpected twists and turns.

Shelf Awareness

The Memory Thief is a vivid story full of surprising twists and turns. An exciting, riveting debut!

author of The Queen’s Rising and The Queen&# Rebecca Ross

The Memory Thief is a thought-provoking debut full of unique magic and complex characters. Lauren Mansy is definitely an author to watch!

New York Times Bestselling author of The CrownR Evelyn Skye

An entrancing story-world of memory heists, hidden maze-prisons, and unexplored magic. The Memory Thief kept me second-guessing with every shocking revelation and daring to believe that the journey to healing is worth the trials of heartache to get there.

author of Romanov Nadine Brandes

Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers.

Booklist

The Memory Thief is fast paced and didn't stop for one second...This book is perfect for people who are looking for a quick unique fantasy novel that is also a stand alone!

The Book Bratz

A thought-provoking and unique YA fantasy, THE MEMORY THIEF is a engrossing and lovely story. Twists and turns keep the reader guessing as they follow Etta on her physical and mental journey.

YA and Kids Books Central

Mansy's debut will delight fantasy readers who revel in fully developed settings and unusual powers.

Booklist

09/01/2019

Gr 8 Up—In the realm of Craewick, memories are everything—money, power, status, and even identity. The gifted, those who can harvest and redistribute others' memories, rule over the ungifted. At the top of this power structure is Madame, destroying all who defy her but not before she sells the memories and experiences of those she deems traitors. Four years ago, Etta Lark betrayed her friends and struck a deal with Madame to save her mother's life. Now, Etta lives a lie and her mother is a prisoner in her own mind. When Etta gets notice that her mother's memories are to be auctioned to the highest bidder, she returns to her past and joins the fight to overthrow Madame and her army. The premise of this dystopian fantasy is intriguing and full of potential, but its complexities and depths are not plumbed here. The pacing bogs down in lengthy world-building explications and flowery depictions that don't develop a true sense of the characters' identities or make sense of their actions. The values upheld by Etta and her compatriots are laudable, but the delivery of the fable's message gets rather heavy-handed as the novel builds toward the final showdown. Though the gentle romance woven through the adventure is a breath of fresh air, the resolution of the story's central conflict seems too pat to be satisfying. VERDICT Though not an essential purchase, this fast-paced tale of freedom fighters who battle with both their minds and bodies offers thrills, food for thought, and a main character to root for.—Kelly Kingrey-Edwards, Blinn Junior College, Brenham, TX

School Library Journal